Stacked plate heat exchangers have heretofore been designed to provide heat transfer from one fluid to another through contacting plates. These heat exchangers utilize a plurality of relatively thin heat conducting or transfer plates which are assembled in spaced face to face relation in such a manner as to provide a multiplicity of shallow fluid flow spaces or chambers; which are separated from one another by plates and are interconnected by circulating passages or connections in such a way that fluids or fluid streams of different temperatures can be circulated through flow spaces on opposite sides of and in contact with each heat transfer plate for the exchange of temperature from one fluid or stream to the other.
One heat exchanger design includes a series of interconnected plates, containing a fluid to be cooled, which are separated by spacers or fin structures to allow for air circulation between the plates; the circulating air acting as a cooling medium for the fluid circulating through the stacked plates. Other designs utilize plates that are normally placed in spaced parallel relationship with spacers therebetween and the coolant fluid flows through one set of plates and alternate plates have fluid to be cooled flowing therethrough. These designs all rely upon intimate contact of the plates for effective heat transfer from a plate carrying one fluid to a plate or spacer for a second fluid. Plates carrying buffer fluid between the coolant and the fluid to be cooled have also been utilized. Normally a complicated assembly is entailed with difficult manufacture.
Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a stacked plate heat exchanger assembly wherein the plates are of a common unique design, such that a first set of plates may be stacked in one position and the plates of a second set may be interleaved with the plates of the first set merely by reversing their position with respect to the first set; wherein the inlets and outlets of the first set may be located along a common edge of the stack and the second set has its inlets and outlets located along the opposite edge of the stack.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel heat exchanger assembly wherein the first and second sets of stacked plates have a direct thermal connection with a common system of secondary heat exchange surfaces through which a fluid such as air is adapted to be passed. This invention comprehends a novel, compact heat exchanger which can be used in automobile air conditioning and heating systems and which performs the function of either a heater or an evaporator coil, that is for heating and cooling. The damper control normally required to selectively direct air either through the air core or the evaporator coil is no longer required for the present structure.
The present invention also comprehends the provision of a heat exchanger assembly in which common secondary surfaces in the form of fins are utilized to bridge the spaces between the two sets of interleaved plates and which serve either for cooling or heating.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a heat exchanger assembly where, in addition to being alternately useable for heating or cooling by passing air through the fins and so arranging the fins to effect a heat transfer from one fluid to another, the coolant fluid in the heater section of the coil can be utilized to serve as a heat sink for the refrigerant of the air conditioning system; thus reducing the number of cycles required of the refrigerating system when working at a partial load.
Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efficiency, economy, and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.